St. Paul daily globe., 1887-01-23

bilities of the game. as only straight ball
10 the head pin can be rolled. Forty years
ago bowling was the favOrite game in New
Y Ork, and in order to play it the year round
1t was necessary to put the alleys under
shelter. Various improvements were made,
the alley was Widened so that the outside
pins could be reached directly, and rooms
were fitted eXpenSively for the accommOda
ton of players. In 1S49 the popularity of
bowling was at its height, and every block
Oh Broadway had one alley or more, some
of them luxurious in appointment and
fitted with mahogany posts, silver plated
stanchions, mahogany frames, costly up
holstery and mirrors, etc. Then was made
the mistake Of shortening the alley and
simplifying the game. and when it became
easy to make ten strikes players began to
lose interest in bowling. Originally the
game was played with nine pins. There
was so much betting and gambling con-
aected with it that the Puritans became
greatly shocked and scandaIized and tried
to reform the morals of the community by
passing laws prohibiting absolutely the
wicked pastime of playing nine-pins. Of
course everybody was seized with burning
desire to play the interdicted game, and as it
was useless to attempt the repeal of the
blue law, Yankee ingenuity solved the
problem and circumvented the law by ad-
ding another pin to the set thereby invent
ing the game of ten pins. In that form the
game remains to-day, and it is found to be
an Improvement on the original German
game. For some years bowling was much
neglected, billiards having come into favor
and absorbed the attention of Americans as
no other game except base ball ever has
done. Then the Germans in their
turn halls revived the game and
introduced the nine-inch balls with
finger holes. increased the length
of the alley and the difficulty Of making big
scores and showed the Americans that
bowling was good physical exercise. In the
EatskillS the game has had an honored place
sver since people began going to the noun
IainS for summer recreation. Tradition has
associated Hendrck Hudson and his ghostly
owlerS with that country, and whenever
he thunder rolls among the cragS the
s,uriSt quotes something from rip Van
Winkle," and feels that it is the proper
hing to go into all alley and help along
the disturbance. Out of the American
ten-pin game game have grown several
Styles more orleSs erratic and complicated,
such as cooked hat, nine up and nine down.
seven down, five back, college, pin pool
ana half a dozen more. In the straight
game the object of the player is to knock
iown all the pins, or as many as possible.
with three consecutive balls. Eeverv pin
down counts on the score, and spares and
strikes count extra. To knock all the pins
down with one ball, the head pin should be
struck on the side with considerable force
This can be done by rolling the ball in a
straight line down the center of the alley,
by straight delivery from one corner to the
center, or by a ball sent in a curved course.
The cross ball is the most effective and is
used by the best players. Some of them
play straight ball very well, but if it hap
pens to catch the head pin full, it makes
what is known as a gut thai is, ploughs
a lane through the set and leaves pins
standing at each side in positions that make
it difficult to get them all down, even with
two more balls. Very skillful bowlers roll
skew ball that is quite as effective as the
cross ball. By twisting the hand as the
ball is delivered, a rotary motion is i'm
parted. and as the forward impulse dimin
ishes this causes the ball to travel on
curved line. Sometimes the ball starts from
the center, runs out to the edge, curve.
In again so as to strike the head pin on thu
side, driving it to one back corner, and ther
gIances to the other back corner. Thi.
shot, correctly made, is pretty sure to tax.
down all the pins, but it is difficult and re
quires practice. In the college game three
pins are set up in line lengthwise of th,
allev, and the game is to knock down tn,
two back pins without touching the on,
nearest the bowler. The skew ball gets il
its best work in this game. and some knacl
is required to curve a ball so that it will
miss the picket pin and strike those behind
A small ball is used in this game, as in mos
of the others requiring but few pins. AL
though every player has his own peculiari
ties of style, there are certain rules govern
ing the manner of delivery. The playe
must not step over line drawn across tn
alley sixty feet from the pins @
touch anything beyond that line. H
must roll the ball and is no
allowed to loft or pitch it. and in matche
he cannot deliver the ball from both hands
The largest balls weigh about eighteel
pounds, and it requires some strength t.
handle them. Two holes, one for tn
thumb and one for the middle finger, are
great assistance, and balls of that patterl
are now generally used. Bowling exercise
every part Of the body except the left arm
and shoulder. and if a man can bowl witt
either hand he can exercise himself thor
oughly. Some players start several yard
back of the line and run up to it before de
livering the ball, Thus bringing the muscle
of the legs into play. Even when tn,
player stands near the line and bowls with
E-out running, his thighs and legs get PLENTY
of exercise. A great many business mer
I, and professional men also bowl regularI,
Iefor recreation and to get business matter